Profile
Since graduating from the National College of Art & Design, I have amassed over thirty years experience as an artist and illustrator. As a contributor to The Irish Times and Hotpress my editorial work has reflected the tumultuous changes in Irish society.
Internationally, the OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-Operation Development (Paris) has regularly featured my work as has The Folio Society (London), have published several award-winning illustrated titles. Along with my long standing relationship with HotPress magazine and many years with The Irish Times, editorial illustration work has appeared in publications in the U.K., U.S., Germany and Japan.
Work in recent years has focused mainly on cultural projects - The 5 part BBC series ‘The Story of Ireland’ featured 100 illustrations, Titanic Experience Belfast, King John’s Castle Limerick, Lindisfarne Gospels Exhibition Durham and the Stonehenge interpretative centre, Salisbury.
The ‘1916 - Portraits and Lives’ book, published by the Royal Irish Academy, received the IDI Design Award for illustration. All 40 original portraits were acquired by the OPW for the State and exhibited in Kilmainham Gaol as part of the 2016 Centenary Celebrations. The exhibition toured internationally with Department of Foreign Affairs support to London, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and Johannesburg.
Recent projects include the 'Ice Men' stamps for An Post, animated promos for ViaSat History Channel, Illustration and animation work for Edinburgh Castle, a commemorative coin for Bram Stoker’s Dracula for the Central Bank of Ireland. Album artwork and design for Christy Moore's album 'Flying Into Mystery'. Working with the legendary figure Irish Folk music has truly been an honour. The animated video for the first single is out now 'The Clock Winds Down' a timely song on the theme of climate change.
I have have collaborated with Irish Post-Rock band God Is An Astronaut over the past few years creating several album cover and poster designs.
The latest projects include An Post stamp marking the 50th anniversary of Sydney Opera House and a Custom Guitar design for Shania Twain using pyrography.
Recent projects
Custom Guitar design for Shania Twain.
A forthcoming book 'The Great Irish Famine' for Gill books.
'Ice Men' and Sydney Opera House stamps for A Post.
An animated film on 'The Glencoe Massacre' for National Trust of Scotland.
Midleton and Ahascragh whiskey label illustrations.
Christy Moore album design and animated videos.
Awards
New York Art Directors Club 1989
Irish Advertising and Design awards 1993, 1994, 1996
and 1999
Association of Illustrators (UK) 2000
Institute of Designers Ireland Awards 2014, 2015 and 2017
Music
'Echotal' EP produced by Torsten Kinsella of 'God Is An Astronaut' released March 2021 echotal.bandcamp.com Spotify and iTunes.
'Bound Together’ 2017 by David Rooney, produced by Declan O'Rourke is available on Spotify and iTunes.
“There isn’t a single track out of place and it all flows smoothly. Bound Together is a sublimely soulful piece of work that sounds comfortingly familiar, yet is still somehow fresh and unique” Hot Press Review 2017
Teaching
Guest lecturer at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and Athlone Institute of Technology 1999 to the present. Guest lecturer at The School of Visual Arts, New York 2024.